Cyclopropene derivatives such as 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) are inhibitors inhibiting the action of ethylene, which is a plant hormone that promotes ripening of fruits, flowers, vegetables, and the like, and the inhibiting effects thereof are known to be excellent.
In particular, 1-MCP is present in a gaseous state at room temperature, and thus, the inside of agricultural products warehouses can be easily treated with 1-MCP. However, cyclopropene compounds such as 1-MCP easily undergo polymerization and thus it is not easy to store such cyclopropene compounds for a long-term period by using a general method.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,849 discloses a method of incorporating these cyclopropene compounds into a molecular encapsulation agent for storage, for example by adsorbing 1-MCP onto a molecular encapsulation agent, e.g., α-cyclodextrin. However, this method requires storage in the form of a complex formed by adsorbing 1-MCP onto α-cyclodextrin. In addition, when used, the complex needs to contact with a solvent so that 1-MCP is dissolved and released in the solvent, which leads to complicated processes and requires know-how of treatment of these compounds.